EAS systems are utilized to protect assets by establishing an interrogation zone at an exit point of a protected area such as a retail store. The interrogation zone is established by an antenna or antennas positioned adjacent to the interrogation zone. The antenna(s) establish an electromagnetic field of sufficient strength and uniformity within the interrogation zone to detect an EAS marker attached to an asset to be protected.
When an article is properly purchased or otherwise authorized for removal from the protected area, the EAS marker is either removed or deactivated. If the EAS marker is not removed or deactivated, the electromagnetic field causes a response from the EAS marker in the interrogation zone. An antenna acting as a receiver detects the EAS marker's response indicating an active marker is in the interrogation zone. An associated controller provides an indication of this condition, e.g., an audio alarm, such that appropriate action can be taken to prevent unauthorized removal of the item from the protected area.
People counting systems provide a count of people entering and exiting a particular passageway or an establishment. A variety of people detection technologies are well known in the art. For instance, a people counting system may provide a beam, e.g., an infrared beam, across the passageway to be monitored. As people enter or exit the passageway the beam is temporarily interrupted. The people counting system detects this interruption and increments its internal count of people traversing the passageway.
Traditionally, EAS systems and people counting systems have been implemented as separate systems. The separate systems do not provide integration of data. As such, a host of data correlation and reporting functions between the systems cannot be readily accomplished.
In addition, there are a host of people counting systems that report on the direction of travel of people through a particular passageway. However, such people counting systems tend to be complex and expensive. For instance, one such directional counting system utilizes a foot activated pressure sensitive platform at the entry point of the passageway. Based on a pressure profile related to the engagement of an individual's foot with the platform, the system predicts the direction of travel of the individual.
There is, therefore, a need for an integrated EAS and people counting system that allows data mining through correlation of EAS and people counting data. There is also a need for a simple, inexpensive directional people counting system that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art.